"NEL" 2004 Obituary

NELSON o@ca.on.manitoulin.howland.little_current.manitoulin_expositor 2004-12-15 published
Hilda Anne
HARPER
In loving memory of Hilda Anne
HARPER,
July 24, 1904 - December 7, 2004.
Hilda HARPER, a resident of the Manitoulin Lodge, died at the Lodge on
Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at the age of 100 years.
She was born at Evansville, daughter of the late Angus and Isabella
(BAILEY)
BELL.
Hilda had lived in Gore Bay since 1991, having moved from Evansville where she
had lived most of her life. She had worked on the farm with her husband
Thomas, and had also worked as a cook at Northernaire Lodge. Hilda had
many hobbies and interests, which included quilting, crocheting, loved
her flowers and going to church. Her fondest times were spent with her
family. A loving and loved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and
friend, she will be sadly missed by all.
Hilda was predeceased by her husband Thomas James
HARPER in 1977. Dearly
loved mother of Geraldine
ROBINSON of Espanola, Jim and Barbara
HARPER
and Les and Lois
HARPER all of Evansville. Predeceased by son Kenneth.
Proud and loving grandmother of 17 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren
and 8 great great grandchildren. Also survived by several nieces and
nephews. Predeceased by brothers and sisters Flora
CAMPBELL,
KatieHALL,
Gurtie BAILEY, Bud (John,) Lucy MORRISON, Jim BELL, Dora
NELSON,
PeterBELL and Sandy
BELL.
Friends called at the Culgin Funeral Home after 7 pm on Friday. The
funeral service was conducted in the Wm. G. Turner Chapel on Saturday,
December 11, 2004 at 11 am with Mr. Erwin
THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON officiating. Spring
interment in Gordon Cemetery. Culgin Funeral Home.

NELSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2004-12-31 published
Man freezes to death
The family of Millar
CAMPBELL wants answers to why he was left
in the cold.
By Marissa
NELSON,
FreePressReporter
An 87-year-old London man, who overcame a brain injury to live
a productive life, froze to death outside a closed seniors' centre
on Boxing Day night after he was dropped off there by a cab driver.
And while police say a criminal act was not committed in the
death of Millar
CAMPBELL and a cab company insists its driver
did nothing wrong, grieving family members are left wondering
how an elderly person could be left in the cold at night, outside
an empty building on Hamilton Road in the dead of winter.
Temperatures that night dipped to -21°C, with windchill values
as low as -28°C.
London police Det.-Insp. Buzz
BEZAIRE called
CAMPBELL's death
"an unfortunate comedy of errors."
CAMPBELL was to return home from Christmas celebrations at his
granddaughter's home on December 26 about 7 p.m., but instead
got out of an Aboutown cab at the Hamilton Road Seniors' Centre
just a few blocks from his retirement home, Maple Village.
Police found his body outside the community centre's back door
the next day.
CAMPBELL had spent the last day of his life with his granddaughter,
Danielle BARRINGTON of London.
As she left a funeral home yesterday after visitation, she said
she didn't understand how the tragedy could occur.
"I just held his hand now and it was cold. I just said, 'I'm
so sorry. You're as cold now as you probably were outside that
night,' BARRINGTON said.
BEZAIRE said this is how the tragedy unfolded:
- CAMPBELL was picked up by a cab at
BARRINGTON's
DundasStreet
home about 7 p.m. and asked to be taken to a Hamilton Road address.
- When the cab arrived at that address,
CAMPBELL told the cabbie
it wasn't the right place. He asked the driver to head farther
east on Hamilton Road.
- When the taxi got to the seniors' centre,
CAMPBELL told the
driver it was the right place.
- The driver asked
CAMPBELL if he was sure -- because the centre
was dark -- but
CAMPBELL reassured the driver and got out.
- The next day, staff at Maple Village retirement home -- where
residents are free to come and go as they please -- called police
to report CAMPBELL missing. Police later found his body.
BEZAIRE said although he's awaiting the autopsy report, it's
believed CAMPBELL died of exposure and no foul play is suspected.
"It is sad,"
BEZAIRE said. "Nothing criminal happened. He wasn't
kicked out of somewhere or turned away by the cab."
Jim DONNELLY, president of Aboutown, said he's satisfied the
driver did what he should have.
"This is a terrible tragedy, particularly around Christmas...
Our sympathies go to the family.
"With the elderly, there should be more information,"
DONNELLY
said, noting some family members even ride with their relatives
or give specific instructions to drivers.
But BARRINGTON said the taxi driver was told where to take
CAMPBELL
and that she put $10 in her grandfather's pocket for the ride.
"What the hell was (the taxi driver) doing?" she asked, tears
streaming down her face. "Why would you let him go? I don't understand
why any of this happened."
CAMPBELL's nephew, Robert
SMITH, from Collingwood, questioned
why anyone would leave an elderly man at a closed centre in frigid
weather.
"Seniors fall between the cracks too often," he said. "It can
just take a series of carelessness and it costs someone his life...
There are a number of people who need to answer some questions."
CAMPBELL suffered a serious head injury when he was a young man,
SMITH said. A truck tire exploded and part of the metal rim went
into his head. But
CAMPBELL worked hard to recover and went on
to work for the postal service.
CAMPBELL's wife died several years ago. He also was predeceased
by his wife's son, whom he helped raise.
BARRINGTON said the last day she spent with her grandfather was
a joyous one.
"He was very funny and very caring. He loved me large," she said.
"He wouldn't let go of my hand."